ballroomchat

In Episode 67 of Ballroom Chat, Alec Lachman, aka Alec the Bard, explores the connection between ballroom dance and TTRPGs. Samantha and Alec discuss the process behind creating a mask or character, tips for improvisational storytelling, the importance of failing epically, and how to navigation conflict resolution.

Alec Lachman is a professional ballroom dancer and TTRPG content creator.

Follow Alec the Bard's journey:
https://beacons.ai/alecthebard

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https://www.patreon.com/ballroomchat

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
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Martina Kornett sit's down to talk about her background, going from ballet to ballroom to now doing counseling, advising and training through the International Dancing Minds. Martina explains her approach to a more holistic training, both in body and mind, including her "Expanse" program. She and Samantha discuss controlling the things you can control being more mindful in the moment, and knowing when it is time to ask for help with things feel too heavy.

Martina Kornett holds Master's Degrees in Sports Science and in Education Science. She is a former ballerina, trained at the German Opera House in Berlin, and a professional ballroom dancer that represented Germany and Australia in 10 dance. Martina currently serves as an advisor on the Mental Wellbeing Board to the World Dance Competitor's Commission, through her group, the International Dancing Minds. She is also an organizer of the Ice Ball Competition in London. 

Support Martina and International Dancing Minds:
https://www.internationaldancingminds.com

https://www.instagram.com/internationaldancingminds

https://www.facebook.com/internationaldancingminds

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Jon Osborn sit's down to talk about mindset going into performance and competitions and the difference between positive and negative self-talk. Jon and Samantha also discuss the key factors to a helpful mindset and how to prepare better for benchmarks and goal setting when it comes to competitions or performances.

Jon Osborn is part of the RJ Performance Group and is a Mental Performance Coach. He holds a Master's Degree in Sports and Performance Psychology, and some of his clients include Real Salt Lake, the Real Monarchs, Weber State Athletics, Team X Alpine, and the Rowmark Ski Academy.

Support Jon Osborn:
http://www.rjpg.net

https://www.twitter.com/jozzypsych

https://www.instagram.com/jozzypsych

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

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Sid Pocius sit's down to talk about his background in amateur dancesport and his take on the word dancesport itself. Sid and Samantha take an inside look on all of his competitions and discuss the behind the scenes information that competitors should know when they are picking a competition.

Sid Pocius is the organizer of the South Open Dancesport Championship, the Sarasota Challenge, Encore Dancesport Competition, and the Florida State Dancesport Competition.He was a former Lithuanian national amateur champion and is the current owner of Empire Ballroom Studios.

Support Sid Pocius:
https://www.southopenchampionships.com/ 2021 Deadline: October 29th
https://www.SarasotaChallenge.com

https://www.FLstatedance.com

https://www.EncoreDancesport.com

https://www.dancingsarasota.com/

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Samantha shares a quick update on the state of the podcast, future plans for guests and conversations, and answers some questions from the Ballroom Chat Instagram.

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

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Deborah Holmes and Stefan Badea sit down to discuss their non-profit foundation, the HeartSoles Foundation and its mission. The pair also explore how their pro-am dancing relationship blossomed into a friendship and business partnership, and how the dance community has come together to build a stronger and more supportive ballroom family.

The HeartSoles Foundation provides dance shoes, competitive attire and scholarships to dancers in impoverished communities. At time of recording, their goal is to raise $10,000 and collect 1,000 pairs of shoes to support the South African dance community.

Support the HeartSoles Foundation:
https://www.heartsoles.org/

https://www.facebook.com/HeartSolesFoundation

https://www.instagram.com/heartsoles_foundation/

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Koichiro ("Chewy") Suzuki and Yulia Zhukoffsit down and talk about their love of music, the history of Tango and why the connection and embrace of Argentine Tango is so unique, compared to other dance styles.

Koichiro Suzuki and Yulia Zhukoff are professional Argentine Tango instructors that travel extensively across the U.S. sharing their love of tango and music. They are also the owners of the Pittsburgh Tango Connection.

Follow Koichiro and Yulia's Dance Journey:
http://www.pghtango.com/

https://www.facebook.com/PGH-Tango-Connection-266764481134

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Christian Alva discusses his early career, life lessons that he's learned along the way and his particular approach to teaching and friendship. Christian and Samantha chat about goal setting and appreciating the joy and artistry of ballroom dance.

Christian Alva is a former member of the Utah Valley University Ballroom Dancing Company and current instructor at Ballroom Utah.

Book with Christian Alva:
https://www.ballroomutah.com

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Viktorija discusses her early career, finding her own expression, and defining how she and her partner Nick want themselves to be seen on the dance floor. She and Samantha also talk about navigating the different relationships and expectations in the dance world, along with tips for young professionals that are thinking about becoming dance instructors, and helpful tips for students trying to navigate their goals and expectations.

Viktorija is a 4x U.S. National Professional Smooth Champion, 4x World Professional Smooth Champion, and a 3x Blackpool Smooth Champion.

Follow Viktorija:
https://www.facebook.com/v.vika.viktorija

https://www.instagram.com/viktorija_smoothchamp/

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Igor Litvinov discusses his amateur career and his journey becoming a dancer. Samantha and Igor also breakdown his professional show dances for Ohio Star Ball and why choosing music and something that suits your personality is so important to connecting to the audience. The pair also talk a little bit about his decision to switch from competitor to competition organizer, and why he decided to launch the Boxstep app.

Igor Litvinov is a highly decorated amateur and professional standard dancer and a three time Ohio Star Ball Showdance Champion. He is also a co-owner of the Ballroom Hub dance studio in New York and the co-owner of the Boxstep app, online festival and online camp. Igor is the co-organizer of the Philadelphia Dancesport Championships, The City's Dancesport Challenge, and the Poseidon Ball.

Follow Igor:
https://www.facebook.com/igorvladimirovich.litvinov

https://www.instagram.com/igorlitvinov10

https://www.boxstepapp.com/

https://www.thecitysdancesportchallenge.com/

https://www.philadelphiadancesportchampionship.com/

https://www.eviactive.com/poseidon-ballroom-cunard-2022/

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Oxana Kashkina discusses her journey, from amateur dancer to English Educator to professional ballroom instructor. Oxana and Samantha delve deep into topics surrounding body image, cross-training, teaching methodology, and telling your story on the dance floor.

Oxana Kashkina was an Amateur 10-dancer prior to moving to the United States. She is currently an Open Professional 9-dance finalist, Mambo National Finalist, and took 2nd in the World Salsa Championships.

Follow Oxana:
https://www.facebook.com/oxana.kashkina

https://www.instagram.com/oxanakashkina/

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Yuriy Kravets discusses his journey from amateur to professional, from Ukraine to the United States and everything in between. Yuriy and Samantha analyze the structure of ballroom dance education in the US and in Europe, and chat about how instructors and pro-am students can approach the different levels of competitive dance.

Yuriy Kravets was awarded the Master of Sport of Ukraine from Lviv State University of Physical Culture for his performance in ballroom dancing as an amateur and then professional. After he turned professional, he represented Ukraine at the World and European championships for a number of years, and then eventually moved to the US and began his work as a professional dance instructor through Fred Astaire before going independent, He is currently teaching and competing with Pro-Am students based in Denver, Colorado, although he has students all across the country.

Follow Yuriy:

https://www.facebook.com/yuriy.kravets.52

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat: https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/ https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Chris Johnston discusses his early dance career and how music and organizing parties became his passion in the industry. Chris and Samantha discuss the ups and downs of building a career in ballroom dance, the importance of recording and remembering our history, and where he sees the future of dancesport heading.

Chris Johnston is the co-owner and founder of SuperShag dance studios and SuperShag video production. He's also a world-class adjudicator and the co-organizer for both the Caribbean Dancesport Classic and DBDC in Boston. He's a host for several different video programs as part of Dance Beat magazine, including Approach the Bar, Cheeky Chat, and Comp Crawl.

Thank you to BallroomBox for supporting the podcast!
Use the affiliate code : BALLROOMCHAT at checkout for 10% off your subscription. https://ballroombox.me/

Follow SuperShag:
https://www.supershag.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SuperShag/

https://www.instagram.com/supershagstudios/

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Megan Rund discusses her start in gymnastics, what happens when your plans suddenly change and your life has put on a completely different path, and the growing pains and culture shock of moving to Utah for college and for ballroom dance. Megan and Samantha also reflect on the interesting challenges of navigating the transition from amateur and student to professional and especially pro am instructor.

Megan Rund is a former Utah Valley University Tour Team member. She and her teammates won the Blackpool Standard Team Championship and as an Amateur, she and her partner became Ohio Star Ball Smooth Champions. She is now a Rising Star and Open Professional Finalist in the Smooth Category.

Follow Megan's dance journey:
https://www.facebook.com/megan.rund.92

https://www.instagram.com/meganrund/

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Jessica Mancini chats about growing up in the figure skating world, making the transition to ballroom dancing. Jessica and Samantha also discuss how to navigate the difficult balance between setting goals for your students and expectations while also encouraging them to remember the joy of the activity that they are doing.

Jessica Mancini is a five time US National Pro-Am champion in Rhythm, Smooth, and 9-Dance, as well as a Pro-Am Open Vice Champion in Rhythm and Smooth. She was also a former team USA figure skater, and current Professional competitor.

Follow Jessica's dance journey:
http://www.manciniballroom.com/

https://www.facebook.com/manciniballroom

https://www.instagram.com/manciniballroom/

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Christine Bar Noël discusses taking up the challenge of finding her own path to success in the ballroom dance industry. Christine and Samantha chat about dance entrepreneurship, and finding life-work balance. The two reflect on the importance of saying no, and explore ways to raise the ceiling for future dancers to flourish.

Christine Bar Noël is a former World Rhythm Champion as part of a Pro-Am father-daughter duo. She is now a certified life balance coach and the host of the Recovering Perfectionist podcast.

Follow Christine's dance journey:
https://www.christinebarnoel.com
https://anchor.fm/recoveringperfectionist
https://christinebarnoelcalendar.as.me/claritycall
https://www.instagram.com/christinebarnoel

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/
https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat
https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Sophia D'Angelo discusses finding herself in ballroom dance and the intersectionality between navigating relationships in ballroom dance and in the real world. Sophia and Samantha discuss her book, Dance and the Creative Couple, and how instructors and students can use the lessons within the book to have a greater understanding of how we communicate through dance.

Sophia practices psychotherapy in Washington, D.C. and has been a life-long dancer with training in multiple dance disciplines. She earned a Masters in Social Work at Catholic University and is a graduate of the International Psychotherapy Institute. She holds multiple United States titles in ballroom dancing.

Follow Sophia or pick up a copy of the book, Dance and the Creative Couple:
https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9781624293177

https://www.facebook.com/creativecouples

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Boyko Ivanov is a former youth 10-dancer, who started creating hair and make-up looks for ballroom dancers after moving to the United States. 15 years later, the name Boyko & Co. is synonomous with some of the top looks and trends for styling ballroom dancers. Boyko sits down to chat with Samantha about discovering his passion for dance and later hair and make-up. He discussing his pursuit of beauty, and why coping trends is only a short term solution to a long term problem.

Follow Boyko & Co.:
https://www.boyko.co/

https://www.facebook.com/BOYKOco

http://instagram.com/boykoco

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Tristen Sosa discusses growing up in a dancing family in Utah, and his dance journey in both competitive ballroom and the performance industry. Tristen and Samantha debate the longevity of virtual dance instruction, and the struggles of building an inclusive and accessible community for all dancers.

Tristen Sosa is a 4 Time Youth Latin Champion. He appeared on So You Think You Can Dance and Paula Abdul's "Live to Dance". Tristen is currently the Ballroom Director at Summerlin Dance Academy in Las Vegas, is a choreographer for the Hallmark and Disney Channels, and is a principle dancer for the Donny and Marie Show in Las Vegas.

Follow Tristen Sosa's dance journey:
https://www.instagram.com/tristensosa

https://www.instagram.com/summerlin_ballroom

https://www.tiktok.com/@salsitososa

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat

Natalie Crandall discusses the importance of positive reinforcement and grounding techniques for dancers at all levels, but especially in the competitive arena. Natalie and Samantha chat about the transition from Pro-Am to Professional dancer, and how she brings lessons learned from yoga and cycling into the ballroom.

Natalie Crandall was the first ever Blackpool British open Pro-Am Smooth Champion. After turning professional, she became an Ohio Star Ball Rising Star Smooth Champion, US Open Professional 9-dance Champion, and a US National Professional Rising Star Rhythm and Smooth Champion.

Follow Natalie Crandall's dance journey:
https://www.nataliecrandall.com

https://www.instagram.com/NatalieRoseMVMNT

Ways to see more from Love.Live.Dance and Ballroom Chat:
https://www.lovelivedance.com/podcast/

https://www.facebook.com/ballroomchat

https://www.instagram.com/ballroomchat